The School Fields screen is used to set up the categories and school fields that display in School Info. Each of the categories set up in the School Fields screen display as a separate tab in School Info. In addition to displaying on the School Fields screen, school fields are available to include in letterhead templates, letters and emails, on reports, and for use in queries.
Each of the categories set up in the School Fields screen display as a separate tab in School Info.
1. In the Setup menu, click School Fields.
The Categories tab is displayed by default.
2. In the blank row at the top of the screen, enter a Title for the category.
3. Select the Schools that will have access to the category. One or multiple can be selected.
To assign the category to all schools, leave the Schools field blank.
4. Select the Default View Profiles and the Default Edit Profiles.
When fields are assigned to the category, the profiles selected in Default View Profiles will have view permissions for those fields by default. The profiles selected in Default Edit Profiles will have edit permissions for those fields by default. You can leave these fields blank, if desired. Profiles who can view or edit fields can be added or changed on a specific field when editing the field in the Fields tab. Please see Adding a Field for more information.
If the category already has fields assigned, selecting Default View Profiles and Default Edit Profiles on the category will only affect fields assigned to the category after the profiles are set, not fields that have previously been assigned to the category.
5. If the category will be used as a form in Focus, select the Form check box.
When a category is designated as a form, this allows users to store multiple, unique instances of information in that tab.
6. In the Sort Order field, use the minus and plus icons to select the sort order. This determines the order the categories will appear when selecting school fields to include on letterhead, letters/emails, and reports.
The list of categories always displays in alphabetical order when viewing School Info.
7. Press Enter to add the new category.
The category is added to the list and is auto-saved.
8. To add an icon or a short name that will display in the category list in School Info, click Add Icon next to the category.
9. In the Change Icon for (category) pop-up window, select the color to use.
10. To display a short name instead of an icon, select the Short Name radio button. Enter a custom short name, or leave the text box blank to use a system generated short name. Focus will use the first character of each word in the category title as a short name.
Example of short name in School Info:
11. To display an icon, select the Icons radio button, and click the icon to use.
Example of icon in School Info:
12. Click Save.
The selected icon or short name will display in the Icon column next to the category.
1. In the Setup menu, click School Fields.
2. In the Categories tab, locate the category in the list and make the desired changes. The Title, Schools, Default View Profiles, Default Edit Profiles, Form, Sort Order, and Icon can be edited.
The changes will auto-save.
If there are fields assigned to the category, a warning message will display indicating that the fields in that category must be deleted first before deleting the category.
1. In the Setup menu, click School Fields.
2. In the Categories tab, locate the category in the list and click the red minus sign to the left of the Title.
3. In the confirmation message, click OK.
The category is deleted.
1. In the Setup menu, click School Fields.
2. In the Categories tab, locate the category in the list and click Edit Fields at the right side of the screen.
The Fields tab opens, displaying the fields that are assigned to the category.
6. To view the full list of fields, click the View all fields link at the top of the screen.
1. In the Setup menu, click School Fields.
2. Click the Fields tab.
3. In the blank row at the top of the screen, enter a Title for the field.
4. Select the field Type.
| Field Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Text | Text fields work best for capturing information that has an unlimited number of potential answers. Text fields accommodate short answers, usually less than 50 characters in length, and can include numeric data, like email addresses, street addresses, and zip codes. |
| Long Text | While text fields work well for short entries, long text is best suited to note-like entries. |
| Checkbox | Use check boxes to record information where a single option is going to be selected. This data type stores a "Y" or null and cannot be changed to a different data type once created. |
| Number | Number fields are used for purely numeric data. This data type works best when the combination of numbers is virtually unlimited, rather than strictly limited, like a range of zip codes in a school district. If a number field type is selected, the user will not be able to enter non-numeric characters into the field. |
| Date | Users can type in the date or select the date from the calendar. The date format stored is yyyy-mm-dd. |
| Time | Time fields allow users to enter a time. Users can only enter time in the hh:mm format. |
| Select One | This field type allows the user to select only one option from the pre-defined list. |
| Select Multiple | This field type allows the user to select one or multiple options from the pre-defined list. |
| Logging Field | Logging fields are used when several pieces of data make up a single record of information. Logging fields work best for providing comprehensive records of activity. Unlike the other field types, logging fields can be more extensive, involving a set of fields for entering data. |
| Computed | This field type allows users to define a query that will be executed and the results displayed to the user when viewing the field. |
| Computed Table | This field type allows users to define a query that will be executed and the results displayed in a table. The table can have multiple columns of data. |
| File Upload | The file upload field type allows users to upload a file into Focus. Focus integrates with most commonly used formats, including Word, Excel, and PDF documents, as well as .rtf and .csv file formats. Once uploaded into Focus, users can click the file to download and view it. |
| Signature | The signature field allows users to digitally sign their acknowledgement or consent in Focus. Users can use their mouse to sign. When using a tablet, users can use their finger or stylus to sign. |
| Placeholder | Placeholder fields are used to separate sections on a page. A placeholder can function as a heading, or can include a URL. |
5. Press Enter to add the new field.
The field is added to the list and is auto-saved.
The system will assign an alias to the new field, but the district can edit this field and assign an alias for querying the field. For existing fields, the Legacy ID column displays the field's previous ID before the field was converted to the new format.
6. Click Edit Field next to the new field.
The Edit Field pop-up window is displayed. The setup for the field depends on the field type.
1. If this field will be included in a category that has been designated as a form, select Form Categories.
The form categories are now available for selection in the Select Categories pull-down.
2. Use the Select Categories pull-down to select the categories this field will appear on. One or multiple categories can be selected.
When Form Categories is selected, you will only be able to select one form category.
3. In the (Category) Sort Order pull-down, select where the new field should appear within the category. You can select to place it before an existing field, at the end of the category, or unsorted. If multiple categories were selected in the Select Categories field, a Sort Order pull-down will display for each category.
4. In the Options section on the right side of the screen, select New School to display this field on the Add a School screen.
When New School is selected, New School is automatically selected in the Select Categories pull-down, and the New School Sort Order pull-down is displayed. Select where to place the field in the list of existing fields on the Add a School screen.
For more information about how sort order works for custom fields, see Sort Order for Fields
5. Select Required to make the field required.
If the field is required, it must have either a default value, display when adding a new school, or both.
6. Enter a Help URL if desired.
This will display a link icon next to the field title in the student's record. Clicking the link icon will open the URL in a new tab.
7. Enter a Description if desired.
When the user hovers the mouse over the question mark icon on the field in the School Info, the description will display.
8. Select the profiles that will be able to view the field in the Profiles (View Access) pull-down. One or multiple profiles can be selected.
9. Select the profiles that will be able to edit the field in the Profiles (Edit Access) pull-down. One or multiple profiles can be selected.
For logging fields, select the profiles that will have the ability to delete records (rows) from the logging field in the Profiles (Delete Record) pull-down. Select the profiles that will by default have the ability to create new records in the logging field in the Profiles (Default Create Column). Select the profiles that will by default have the ability to view columns in the logging field in the Profiles (Default View Column) pull-down. Select the profiles that will by default have the ability to edit columns in the logging field in the Profiles (Default Edit Column) pull-down. Permissions for user fields can also be customized in Users > Profiles.
The Profiles (Restricted View) pull-down allows you to restrict profiles to only viewing records the user has created. For example, if the Teacher profile is selected from the Profiles (Restricted View) pull-down for this logging field, teachers will only have view access to log records created by themselves. Teachers will not be able to view log records by any other users.
Similarly, the Profiles (Restricted Edit) pull-down allows you to restrict profiles to only edit log records the user created.
10. When finished setting up the field, click Save at the bottom of the window.
1. In the Defaults section of the window, select or enter a default Value for New Schools, if applicable. When defined, the selected value will default into the field when adding a new school.
2. Select or enter a State Reporting Fallback Value, if applicable. When defined, the selected value will be included in extracts for state reporting unless the school has a value already selected in its record.
For checkbox fields, the Value for New Schools and State Reporting Fallback Value fields will have a toggle. Select or deselect the toggle to indicate that the checkbox is selected or deselected by default.
If there is a particular form users will upload into the field, you can provide the URL to the blank form for users to print and fill out. Users can then upload the completed form into the file upload field.
1. (Select One fields only) In the Options, select Display as Radio Buttons to display the select one field as a set of radio buttons rather than as a select box.
This preference is stored in the column “display_as_radio.” If a field is not marked as Required, an N/A option will be included in the set of radio buttons.
2. Select School Filter to use the select options for this field as tags which can be used as filter options within the Schools pull-down.
The tags are available in the Schools pull-down on the Student Info, Mass Assign Student Info, District Reports, User Info > Permissions tab, Third Party Systems, Rollover, Calculate GPA, Pull Grades for Report Cards, and Graduation Requirements > District Graduation Programs and Requirements screens.
For example, you can set up a school field called School Committee Members, enable the School Filter option, and set up the school committee members as select options. In School Info, the school committee members for that specific school can be selected in the School Committee Members field. When the Schools pull-down is opened on one of the aforementioned screens, the school committee member select options will display as tags that can be clicked to filter the list of schools.
3. In the Select Options section of the window, either define the Select Options manually or enter a Select Options Query.
Select Options:
a. In the blank row, enter a Code and Label (what will display for the user) for the option.
b. Enter a Sort Order for the option. This will display the options in the defined order.
c. If desired, enter the Min School Year and Max School Year, which are used to make these options only active within the range of school years.
d. Press Enter to add the option.
The added row turns yellow. A new, blank row will display where you can add the next option.
e. Select the Inactive check box next to an option to inactivate it. Inactive options will not display for selection when the user opens the pull-down.
f. To delete an option, click the red minus sign to the left of the option and in the confirmation message, click OK.
Select Options Query:
Enter a query that defines the options in the pull-down.
The highlighted area provides instructions and an example query.
4. In the Defaults section of the window, select a default Value for New Schools, if applicable. When defined, the selected value will default into the field when adding a new school.
5. Select a State Reporting Fallback Value, if applicable. When defined, the selected value will be included in extracts for state reporting unless the school has a value already selected in its record.
The options available in the Value for New Schools and State Reporting Fallback Value pull-downs are populated based on the select options that have been set up.
For signature fields, select Requires Authentication to require the user to enter a username and password in order to save the signature. When this option is turned off, the user can save the signature without entering a username and password.
For placeholder fields, you may include a URL if desired. When the user clicks the placeholder title in School Info, the URL will open.
1. In the Options section of the window, enter the Maximum Length of the field. If no value is entered, the default maximum length is 255 characters.
2. To display suggestions when a user enters text into the field, enter a query in the Suggestions Query section of the screen.
The highlighted area provides instructions and an example query.
1. In the Options section of the window, select Rich Text to provide a rich text editor for the field.
2. Enter the Maximum Length of the field.
1. In the Options section of the window, select Show school year to add a School Year column to the logging field.
When entering a new logging field record, the default year selected will be based on the year selected in the header. This pertains to the built-in system year option available to end-users during the logging field configuration.
2. In the Columns section of the window, replace the New Column text with the column name.
3. In the column that will be the primary sort, select Ascending or Descending in the Primary Sort pull-down.
4. In the column that will be the secondary sort, select Ascending or Descending in the Secondary Sort pull-down.
Log entries can be sorted in ascending or descending order using one column as the primary sort (entries will be sorted by this column first) and one column as the secondary sort (entries will be sorted by this column second). Only one column can be set as the Primary Sort and only one column can be set as the Secondary Sort.
5. Select the Fixed Left check box to freeze the field in place when the user scrolls over to the right.
6. Select the field Type: checkbox, computed, date, file upload, long text, number, select multiple, select one, text, or time.
7. Click the Edit Field icon to set up or edit the field options, including profiles who can view and edit the specific field.
8. To delete a column, click the red X.
9. To add a column, click the green +.
A logging field can have up to 30 columns.
10. To rearrange the order of the columns, click the left and right arrows.
After the logging field has been saved, hover the mouse over the column name to view the log_field ID in a tool-tip.
1. Select Rich Text in the Options to support HTML in the computed field's generated output.
2. Enter the query for the computed field in the provided area.
The highlighted area provides instructions and an example query.
3. Either define the Search Options or enter a Filtering Options Query.
By supplying the select options or defining a filtering options query, users will be able to search on the computed field the same way other fields are searched on. If these options are not set up, then users will not be able to use More Search Options on the computed field as they can with other select field types.
Search Options:
a. In the blank row, enter a Code and Label (what will display for the user) for the first option.
b. Enter a Sort Order for the option. This will display the options in the defined order.
c. If desired, enter the Min School Year and Max School Year, which are used to make these options only active within the range of school years.
d. Press Enter to add the option.
The added row turns yellow. A new, blank row will display where you can add the next option.
e. Select the Inactive check box next to an option to inactivate it. Inactive options will not display for selection when the user opens the pull-down.
f. To delete an option, click the red minus sign to the left of the option and in the confirmation message, click OK.
Filtering Options Query:
Enter a query that defines the options in the pull-down.
The highlighted area provides instructions and an example query.
Enter a query for the computed table.
The highlighted area provides instructions and an example query.
The Alias on a system field cannot be edited.
1. In the Setup menu, click School Fields.
2. Click the Fields tab.
3. Locate the field in the list and click Edit Field.
4. Make the desired changes and click Save.
Only Local fields (fields created by the district) can be deleted. System fields cannot be deleted. If you attempt to delete a system field, a message will display indicating system fields cannot be deleted.
1. In the Setup menu, click School Fields.
2. Click the Fields tab.
3. Locate the field in the list and click the red minus sign to the left of the field.
4. In the confirmation message, click OK.
The field is deleted.